End-gate for wagons.



C.' SKIDMORE.

END GATE FOR WAGONS.

APPLIUATION FILED 11:13.25, V1911.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

EMQX

@wi/Mmmm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES SKIDMORE, OF HOMER, NEBRASKA.

END-GATE VFOR WAGONS.

Application led February 25, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES Sitmiuonn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Homer, in the county of Dakota and State of Nebraska, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in End- Gates for Wagons;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvelnents in end gates for wagons andmeans for fastening the gate in open and closed positions.

One object of the invention is to provide an end gate adapted to bepivotally and detachably connected to the end of a wagon body wherebythe gate may be swung outwardly at its lower end.

Another object is to provide means whereby the gate lnay be fastened inits open position to permit the discharge of the contents of the wagonand means whereby the gate may be securely fastened at its lower endwhen in a closed position.

Vit-h these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts aswill be more fully described and particularly pointed outin the appendedclaim.

In the accolnpanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a wagon box orbody showing the application of my improved end gate thereto; Fig. 2 isa rear end view of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional viewon the line 3--3 of Fig. 2, showing in full lines the operative positionof the fastening mechanism for holding the gate closed and in dottedlines the inoperative position of the fastening mechanism; Fig. 1 is adetail perspective viewof the fastening devices for one side of the endgate showing the parts of the same disconnected.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes my improved endgate, said gate comprising a central portion 2 and side members 3. Theside members 3 are in the form of boards of suitable width arranged atright angles to and spaced aI suitable distance from the side edges ofthe central portion 2 leaving spaces 4 adapted to receive the rear endsof the sides 5 of the wagon body. The sides 5 of the wagon body areprovided on the rear ends with extensions G which project beyond therear side of the end gate Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

Serial No. 610,880.

and have formed therein notches 7 the purpose of which will behereinafter described.

The side members 2l are secured to the central portion 2 of the gate andare held in spaced relation thereto by means of upper and lower angleiron bracing bars 8 and 9. The ends of the plates'S and 9 are bent atright angles and engage the outer sides of the members 3, said platesbeing secured to the central portion 2 and side members 3 by screws orother suitable fastening devices. In the ends of the upper plate 8 andthe adjacent portions of the side members 3 are formed horizontalinwardly extending bearing notches 10 which are adapted to be engagedwith the laterally projecting ends of pivot bolts 11 secured at theirinner ends in the adjacent sides of the wagon body and projectinglaterally therefrom as shown. Adapted to be screwed onto tho threadedouter ends of the bolts 1l are tail nuts 12 which when screwed up intoengagement with the ends of the plate S will engage stop flanges 13formed on the inner edges of the right angular ends of the plate 8 andthereby prevent the disengagement of the notched portions of the sidemembers 3 and ends of the plate S from the pivot bolts 11, but willpermit thc end gate to be swung outwardly and upwardly at its lower endon said bolts, as clearly shown in dotted lilies in Fig. 1 of thedrawings. Then the end gate has been swung upwardly and outwardly asshown the same may be secured in this position by tightly screwing themits 12 up on the bolts 11 thus clamping the side members 3 into tightengagement with the outer sides of the wagon box or body.

On the outer side of the central portion 2 of the end gate is secured acatch plate 14. the outer ends of which are cut away on the lower edgeand are reduced and shaped to form rearwardly curved fastening hooks 15with which are adapted to be engaged end gate fastening bars 1G, saidbars having on their outer ends keeper plates 17 and handle loops 18. Inthe plates 17 are formed elongated holes or eyes 18 which are adapted tobe engaged with the hooks 15 as shown.

The inner ends of the fastening bars 16 have formed therein eyes 2Owhich are adapted to be engaged with cranks 21 formed on the outer endsof torsional spring rods 22 which are pivotally mounted in suitablebearings 23 secured to the bottom of the wagon adjacent to the oppositesides of the same. On the opposite ends of the rods 22 from the cranks21 are formed right angular rearwardly projectingl stop arms 24 havingon their outer ends right angular upwardly projecting catch fingers 25the upper ends of which are bent rearwardly at an angle as shown at 26.The ends of the sto-p arms 24 project through guide slots 27 formed inan angle iron bar 28 secured to the lower side of the bottom o-f thewagon adjacent to its rear end.

By means of fastening devices constructed as herein shown and describedit will be seen that when the end gate is swungdown to a closed positionthat the bars 16 may be drawn rearwardly and the apertures 19 in theplates 17 engaged with the hooks 15 on the catch plate 14. In thusdrawing the bars 16 rearwardly the crank arms 21 will be swungrearwardly thus rocking the spring rods 22 and throwing the arms 24 upinto engagement with the bottom of the wagon which will limit thepivotal movement of the spring rod 22 whereupon further p'ull on t-hebars 16 and crank arm 21 will exert a torsional strain on the rods 22which will provide the necessary spring or resistance for holding theapertured plates 17 in operative engagement with the hooks 15 on thecatch plate thus fastening the gate in closed position. Wvhenthe stoparms 24 are thus thrown up into engagement with the bottom of the wagonthe fingers 25 will be brought into engagement with the outer side ofthe catch plate 14 and will thus form additional fastening means for thelower end of the gate.

When it is desired to release the gate at its lower end the bars 16 aredrawn back by the handles'against the torsional resistance or'spring ofthe rod 22 and the apertured plate 17 then disengaged from the hooks 15.After being thus disengaged the bars 16 are released thereby permittingthe arms 24 to drop in the slots 27 of the plate 28 which will disengagethe catch lingers 25 from the catch plate 14 whereupon the gate may beswung upwardly on the bolts 11 or may be entirely removed by disengagingthe same from said bolts.

The side members 3 of the gate are braced by a tie rod 29 arrangedacross the rear side of the central portion 2 of the gate and throughapertured extensions 30 formed on the rear edges of the members 3 andthrough wear plates 31 secured to said extensions. One end of the tierod 29 has formed thereon an eye 32 while on the threaded opposite endis screwed a tail nut 33. The tie rod 29 when thus arranged will engagethe notches 7 formed in the extensions 6 on the sides of the wagon body.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the construction and operation of the invent-ion will bereadily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacriiicing any of the advantages of the invent-ion as defined in theappended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

An end gate for a wagon pivotally at.- tached to the body o-f the wagonnear its Lipper end and a catch plate secured to and forming its loweredge and provided with a finger projecting laterally beyond one side, incombination with a torsional spring rod transversely pivoted to thewagon body, a catch rod extending rearwardly at a right angle from oneend of the spring rod, a catch finger on the outer end of the rodadapted to engage the catch plate, and means for bringing the torsionalspringing quality of the spring rod into play to maintain suchengagement comprising a crank arm projecting downwardly from the otherend of the spring rod, and a fastening bar attached to the end of thecrank arm and provided with an opening to be engaged over the lateralfinger of the catch plate.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CHARLES SKIDMORE. Witnesses:

L. O. HILTON, O. B. HOPKINS.

Copies of this patent may 'be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

